always his eye upon me, showing indignation in his counte

nance."

Then said the Interpreter to Christian, Hast thou considered all these things?

CHR. Yes, and they put me in hope and fear.

INTER. Well, keep all things so in thy mind that they may be as a goad in thy sides, to prick thee forward in the way thou must go. Then Christian began to gird up his loins, and to address himself to his journey. Then said the Interpreter, The Comforter be always with thee, good Christian, to guide thee in the way that leads to the City. So Christian went on his way, saying

"Here I have seen things rare and profitable;

Things pleasant, dreadful, things to make me stable

In what I have begun to take in hand;

Then let me think on them, and understand

Wherefore they showed me were, and let me be
Thankful, O good Interpreter, to thee."

Now I saw in my dream, that the highway up which Christian was to go, was fenced on either side with a wall, and that wall was called Salvation, Is. xxvi. 1. Up this way, therefore, did burdened Christian run, but not without great difficulty, because of the load on his back.s

He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending, and upon that place stood a cross, and a little below, in the bottom, a sepulchre. So I saw in my dream, that just as Christian came up with the cross, his burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble, and so continued

Bunyan profited much by dreams and visions. "Even in my childhood the Lord did scare and affright me with fearful dreams, and did terrify me with. dreadful visions." That is a striking vision of church-fellowship in the [12] Nos. 53-56; and an awful dream is narrated in the Greatness of the Soul:-" Once I dreamed that I saw two persons, whom I knew, in hell; and methought I saw a continual dropping from heaven, as of great drops of fire lighting upon them, to their sore distress. [29]

"Sometimes I have been so loaden with my sins, that I could not tell where to rest, nor what to do. Yea, at such times I thought it would have taken away my senses." [4] Every height is a difficulty to him that is loaden; with a burden, how shall we attain the heaven of heavens?" [54]

to do, till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more.

re

When God leases us of our

guilt and burden,

we are as those that

leap for joy.

Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said, with a merry heart, "He hath given me rest by his sorrow, and life by his death." Then he stood still awhile to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him, that the sight of the cross should thus ease him of his burden. He looked therefore, and looked again, even till the springs that were in his head sent the waters down his cheeks, Zech. xii. 10." Now, as he stood looking and weeping, behold three Shining Ones came to him and saluted him with "Peace be to thee." So the first said to him, "Thy sins be forgiven thee," Mark ii. 5; the second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him "with change of raiment," Zech. iii. 4; the third also set a mark on his forehead," and gave him a roll with a seal upon it, which he bade him look on as he ran, and that he should give it in at the Celestial Gate, Eph. i. 13. So they went their way."

Faith kindleth them even into a flame.

"Doth unbelief quench thy graces ? Doth unbelief fill the soul full of sorrow? Faith fills it full of the joy of the Holy Ghost. In a word, Doth unbelief bind down thy sins upon thee? Faith in Jesus Christ releaseth thee of them all." [46]

"This efficacious sight of the cross is thus narrated in Grace Abounding, No. 115:- Travelling in the country, and musing on the wickedness and blasphemy of my heart, that scripture came into my mind,' Having made peace through the blood of his cross.' Col. i. 20. I saw that day, again and again, that God and my soul were friends by his blood; yea, that the justice of God and my soul could embrace and kiss each other. This was a good day to me; I hope I shall not forget it." "Is it indeed true that Christ was made a curse for me? hath borne all my sins? O blessed tidings! O welcome grace! Now is peace come! Now the face of heaven is altered. Behold all things are become new. Now the sinner can abide God's presence; yea, sees unutterable glory and beauty in him, for here he sees justice smile." [18]

"Set a mark upon the foreheads of those that sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done. Ezek. ix. 4. When Christiana drew near the end of her journey she was comforted by the good conduct of her sons, saying, 'She read with comfort the mark that was set on their foreheads.' The wicked have also their mark. Many go on in the broad way of sin and profaneness, bearing the tokens (Job. xxi. 29) of their damnation on their foreheads. Those whose daily practice proclaims that their feet go down to death, their steps take hold on hell.'" [22]

"None but those who have felt such bliss, can imagine the joy with which this heavenly visitation fills the soul. "They leaped and skipped for joy, and shouted,

"Who's this? the Pilgrim. How! 'tis very true,
Old things are past away, all's become new.
Strange! he's another man upon my word,

They be fine feathers that make a fine bird.

Then Christian gave three leaps for joy, and went on singing

A Christian can sing though alone, when God doth give him the joy of his heart.

"Thus far I did come laden with my sin;

Nor could aught ease the grief that I was in
Till I came hither: What a place is this!
Must here be the beginning of my bliss?
Must here the burden fall from off my back?
Must here the strings that bound it to me crack?
Blest cross! blest sepulchre! blest rather be
The man that there was put to shame for me!" a

I saw then in my dream, that he went on thus, even until he came at a bottom, where he saw, a little out of the way, three men fast asleep, with fetters upon their heels. The name of the one was Simple, another Sloth, and the third Presumption.

Simple, Sloth, and
Presumption.

Let Emmanuel live for ever! So the bells did ring, and the people sing, and the music go in every house in Mansoul."-Holy War. The Father receives the poor penitent with, "Thy sins be forgiven thee." The Son clothes him with a spotless righteousness. "The prodigal when he returned to his father was clothed in rags; but the best robe is brought out, also the gold ring and the shoes; yea, they are put upon him to his rejoicing." [26] The Holy Spirit gives him a certificate, thus described by Bunyan :—

"But bring with thee a certificate,

To show thou seest thyself most desolate;
Writ by the master, with repentance seal'd;
To show also, that here thou would'st be healed
By those fair leaves of that most blessed tree

By which alone poor sinners healed be:
And that thou dost abhor thee for thy ways,

And would'st in holiness spend all thy days;

And here be entertained; or thou wilt find

To entertain thee here are none inclined." [40]

Such a certificate, written upon the heart by the Holy Spirit, may be lost for a season, as in the arbour on the hill, but cannot be stolen even by Faint-heart, Mistrust, and Guilt. For the mark in his forehead see 2 Cor. iii. 2, 3; "not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, known and read of all men.'

"

He that has come to Christ, has cast his burden upon him. By faith he hath seen himself released thereof; but he that is but coming, hath it yet, as to sense and feeling, upon his own shoulders."